Cutting machine



Newe 11 1924. 1,514,629

7 E. .1.v RAY CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 31. 1919 Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

EUGENE J. BAY, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHIN- ERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CUTTING MACHINE.

' Application filed March 31, 1919. Serial No. 286,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE J. RAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Cutting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the sev eral figures.

This invention relates to cutting machines and particularly to machines for cutting blanks from sheet material.

In a well-known class of cutting machines, such as that shown, for instance, in the patent to A. M. Stickney, N 0. 647,888, granted April 17, 1900, there are provided a pattern constructed and arranged to be clamped upon sheet material to be cut and cutting means in the form of a knife operated to travel around the periphery of the pattern and to cut from the sheet material a blank substantially of the same size and shape as the pattern. Since the knife travels along in close contact with the pattern and must of necessity have a blade portion of appreciable width, it is not feasible to have the knife turn abruptly, for instance, sharply at a right angle, to produce a blank having an edge substantially perpendicular to an adjacent edge of the blank. Hence the machine of the patent is not organized for the production of blanks having edges related in the manner described, and thus the range of usefulness of the machine is restricted.

With this in View, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cutting machine having a pattern with cutting means controlled by the pattern and operative to produce from sheet material blanks each having an edge substantially perpendicular to an adjacent edge of the blank.

In one aspect, the invention comprises a cutting machine having cutting means operable by and in conjunction with the pattern of the machine to produce blanks of a predetermined shape other than the shape of the pattern.

In another aspect the invention comprises an organization in which a cutting means is associated with a pattern. to cut into a plurality of parts the blank produced by 55 cutting completely around the periphery of the pattern. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the said cutting means is controlled by the pattern. 1

From another viewpoint, the invention comprises the provision, in a machine designed to cut blanks from sheet material by means of a cutter arranged to operate completely around the periphery of a pattern resting 011 the material, of means for completing the cutting ofthe blank to forman article. in a practical form of the invention, the said cutting means is operated by the pattern.

Other features and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view from below of a pattern cutting means associated therewith, and i Fig. 2 is a side View, partly in section, of the pattern and of cutting means arranged to co-operate therewith, and

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation showing details of mechanism for operating the cutting means.

In the illustrated construction there is disclosed a templet or pattern t having a flanged edge portion 6 which is extended downwardly throughout the periphery of the pattern and has the functions of clamping the material firmly upon its support and providing a guide for the cutter or knife 8. As heretofore stated, this knife is constructed and arranged to follow the contour of the pattern 4t and to operate upon the material to out a blank therefrom which is substantially of the shape and size of the pattern. Associated with the pattern is a second cutting means for severing the blank produced through the operation of the first-mentioned cutter into two portions, thus providing a blank having a straight edge portion extending substantially at right angles to the adjacent edge portions of the blank. A. blank of such a shape cannot be produced through the operation of a cutter arranged to travel around a pattern, since such a cutter cannot make the abrupt turn necessary to, produce the blank described. The reason for this restriction of the operation ofthe knife lies in the fact that the knife moves in constant contact with the pattern and has a blade of appreciable width and substance in order to effect a cutting operation on the material and thenefore any attempt to force the knife into a substantially right angle turn would result in damage to the material-and possibly to the knife as well. The cutting means referred to as having the function of severing the blank into portions is embodied in the present construction in a cutter 10 having a body portion lQarranged transversely of the pattern and secured thereto by boltsla. The ends of the cutter are beyeled as indicated at 16 to conform to the flange 6 of the pattern'to assist in holding the cutter fixedly in position on the patr tern andto provide end portions in connection with the body 12 forsupporting the blade 18 so that the blade may extend clear acrnss the lower surface of the pattern and thusefl'ectacoinplete severance of the blank into two portions. In order that the blank may be divided to produce pieces of various sizes, means are provided for adjustably securing the cutter to the pattern, the said means cnnsisting, in. the illustrative device,

c ofperforatinns 20 in the pattern with which the belts- 1 may be se e t ly ng to secure the cutter in various positions relatively to the pattern.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings the pattern and the cutting means already described are shown for the purposes of illustration as embodied in a machine which comprises a frame 2a adapted to provide a mounting for a rod, the. lower part of wl'lich is shown at 26, thesaid rod carrying at its lower end lined-1y secured thereto the pattern 4. Secured to the rod 26 for rotation thereon are rm 23 and p ptally Connected to each other and adapted to carry the stud 32 of a 3%??16? fo h ife -rm also carries stud 36 through which the knife carrier. 3a is driven by a grooved bar 38 which is sustained by arms ,40, 5L2 and moved e ily in t n ep p t y m ch n m o shown. h lovable vertically with the rod 26 s a am 4: wh h carr an n e n leader or guide member 46. The properly shaped aperture in the internal leader or guide member 46 acts on the principle of a ca n leader to guide the stud 32 in a closed path, while the knife 8 is guided in its path by the knifeiforrn or pattern 4. For supporting the work during the operation of the cutting means there is provided a table or work support 50 upon which the work i clamped by' pattern 4 upon downward movement of the latter. For a more complete disclosure of the construction of the machine, and particularly of the operating arts,reference should be had to, Patent No.

641,838, referred to in the foregoing description, I

operating with the machine described, work in the form of sheet material is placed upon the support 50 and the pattern 4 and support moved relatively to each other to clamp the pattern firmly upon the work. Since the knife blade 18 projects below the plane of support of the pattern, it will effeet a cutting operation on the material simultaneously with the clampingof the pattern thereon. Subsequently with the machine in operation, the cutter 8 travels around the pattern l and cuts a blank substantially of the size and shape of the pat tern. At the end of this second cutting voperation, the pattern and the work support are separated and the work rel-positioned for another cutting operation. When the blanks have been cut from the sheet by the co-operation of the two cutting means described, it will be found that the blank which is the shape of the patternhas been cut into two unequal portions, each, according to the design of the pattern shown in the. drawing, consisting of a heel portion and a half-sole portion. In case the sheetmateriaI is of rubber, the heel portion may be returned to the mass of rubber material to be re-Inolded into sheet material, while the half-soles may be utilized as desired in the further manufacture of shoes. It will be clear that the cutting means associated with the pattern operate to produce a blank or an article having a predetermined shape dilferent from that of the pattern and one that could not be produced by the cooperation of the pattern andcutter 8. While the invention is illustrated with reference to the manufacture of half, soles, it will be understood that it may have other applications and uses.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is t 1. In amachineofthe class described, apattern, cutting means constructed and arranged to move around the periphery of the pat tern to cut from sheet material a blank the shape of the pattern, and cutting means controlled by the pattern for operating on the material of the blank cut by the first-mentioned means.

:2. In a machine of the class described, a pattern arranged to be pressed upon sheet. material, cutting means constructed and arranged to cut a blank from the material of the shape of said pattern, and means mounted on the pattern for making an incision in the material within the outline of the pat tern, which incision results in severing a por tion from said blank.

3. In a machine of the class described, a pattern arranged to be clamped upon sheet material to be cut, and means controlled by the pattern to cut an article having a predetermined shape other than the shape of the pattern.

at. In a machine of the class described, a pattern arranged to be placed upon sheet material to be cut, cutting means constructed and arranged to follow the contour of said pattern to cut from the material a blank having a generally curved contour, and means controlled by the pattern for making a cut substantially at airight angle across the blank outlined by said pattern.

5. In a machine of the class described, a pattern arranged to be clamped upon the sheet material to be cut, cutting means constructed and arranged to follow the contour of the pattern to cut the sheet material, and a cutter operative simultaneously with the clamping of the pattern on the material to produce in co-operation With the cutting means a blank having a straight edge substantially at a right angle to an adjacent edge of the blank.

6. in a machine for forming blanks from sheet material by cutting progressively along the contour line of the blank being formed, the combination of a pattern or templet arranged to be clamped upon the material to be cut, and a cutter arranged to cut the material simultaneously with the. clamping ot the templet upon the material.

7. In a machine designed to cut blanks from sheet material by means of a cutter arranged to travel completely around a pattern placed on the material preliminary to the cutting operation, the combination of a pattern arranged to be clamped upon material to be cut, and a cutter operative simultaneously with the clamping of the pattern upon the material to divide the blank formed by cutting around the pattern.

8. In a machine designed to cut blanks from sheet material by means of a cutter arranged to travel completely around a pat tern placed on the material preliminary to the cutting operation, the combination of a pattern arranged to be clamped upon the sheet material to be out, and a cutter carried by the pattern and having its cutting edge projecting below the plane of the Work engaging surface of the pattern to efi'ect a cutting operation upon the material clamped by said pattern. I

9. In a machine of the class described, a pattern arranged to be clamped upon sheet material to be cut, in combination with cutting means constructed and arranged to follow the contour of the pattern in cutting the sheet material, and a cutter operative, simultaneously with the clamping of the pattern on the material, to make an incision in the material. whereby a plurality of blanks are produced as a result of the cutting operation.

10. In a machine of the class described, a pattern arranged to be clamped upon sheet material to be cut, in combination with a cutting means constructed and arranged to follow the contour of the pattern and to cut blanks from the sheet material, and a cutter designed to be adj ustably secured to the pattern to make incisions in the material Whereby blanks of various predetermined sizes are produced as result of the cutting operations.

11. In a machine for cutting soies from sheets of rubber, a pattern shaped like a shoe sole and constructed and arranged to be clamped upon a sheet, in combination with cutting means constructed and arranged to follow the contour of the pattern to cut a sole from sheet material, and a cutter operative to cut the material, so as to sever the heel portion of the sole from the remainder of the blank, thus providing a half-sole.

12. In a machine of the class described, a pattern, cutting means constructed and arranged to move around the periphery of the pattern in contact therewith to cut the material in the shape of the pattern, and auxiliary means controlled by the pattern for completing the cutting of the material to form an article.

13. In a machine of the class described, a pattern arranged to be pressed upon sheet material, cutting means constructed and arranged to cut the material along the periphery of said pattern, and means operated by the pattern for completing the cutting of the material to form an article.

14. In a machine of the class described, a pattern, cutting means constructed and arranged to move around the periphery of the pattern to cut sheet material, and cutting means co-operating with the first mentioned cutting means to produce a two-pieced.

blank.

15. In a machine of the class described, a pattern adapted to be placed upon sheet material, cutting means constructed and arranged to cut a blank from the material of the shape of said pattern, andmeans controlled by the pattern tor making an incision in the material within the outline of the pattern. V

16. In a machine of the class described, a pattern adapted to be placed upon sheet material, a cutter constructed and arranged to follow the contour of the pattern to cut from the material a blank having the contour of the pattern, and a knife operated by the pattern for making an incision in the material within the outline of the pattern.

17. In a machine of the class described, a pattern adapted to be placed upon sheet material, a cutter constructed and arranged to follow the contour of the pattern to cut a blank of the shape of the pattern, and a cut ter for dividing the material of the blank whereby a plurality of blanks is formed within the outline of the pattern.

18. In a machine of the class described, a sole pattern adapted to be placed upon sheet material, cutting means constructed and arranged to move around the pattern to out a sole the shape of the pattern, and a cutter for making an incision in'th'e sole along a linecorresponding' to the hreestfiecl g'e of the heel portion of the sole.

19. In a machine of the class described, a sole pattern adapted to be placed upon sheet material to be cut, cutting means constructed and arranged to move around the periphery of the pattern to cut aisole therefrom and a cutter operable to cut the material of the sole along a line extending transversely thereof.

20. in a machine of the class described, apattern adapted. to be placed upon sheet-me teri ah a cutter operative to make a substantially straight cut in the material, ancl a cut-- tel controlled. by the pattern ancl opemtive to cut a'blenl: tromthema-terial by joining the two ends of the; said out. V

In testimony whereoi I have signed m name to this specification. I

EUGENE J. RAY. 

